CVE-2022-25271: Improper Input Validation in Drupal Core's Form API Opens Door to Sensitive Data Alteration

Drupal, the popular open-source content management system, has recently been discovered to have a vulnerability within its core's form API in certain contributed or custom modules. CVE-2022-25271, a security vulnerability assigned to this issue, details a flaw in input validation that could allow an attacker to inject disallowed values or, worse yet, overwrite sensitive data. It is worth noting that affected forms are relatively uncommon and not every Drupal website will be affected. However, for those that use these specific forms, the consequences could be severe with sensitive data at risk.

The Vulnerability - CVE-2022-25271

Drupal's core form API is vulnerable to improper input validation when certain contributed or custom modules' forms are used. Attackers may be able to inject malicious input or even overwrite crucial data. The affected forms are rare, but they can be found in situations where critical or sensitive data is used. Exploitation of this vulnerability could lead to unauthorized access to or alteration of sensitive information, potentially resulting in severe consequences for an organization or individual.

To illustrate the issue, let's consider an example of a potentially vulnerable form in Drupal

$form['data'] = [
  '#type' => 'textfield',
  '#title' => t('Sensitive Data'),
  '#default_value' => '',
];

In this example, a simple "textfield" form element is added to capture sensitive data. However, due to improper input validation within Drupal's core form API, this form could potentially be exploited by a malicious actor.

Original References

The vulnerability has been identified and officially published by Drupal in their Security Advisory SA-CORE-2022-XXXX, which can be found by following this link: https://www.drupal.org/security/2022-SA-CORE-XXXX

Drupal also maintains a public issue tracker detailing the progress on an official fix for the vulnerability. The issue can be tracked on the Drupal Core project's issue page located here: https://www.drupal.org/project/drupal/issues/XXXXXXX

Exploit Details

To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker can craft a POST request with specially prepared input data that takes advantage of the input validation issue, leading to disallowed values being injected or even data being overwritten. In order to protect against potential exploitation, Drupal administrators should keep an eye on the official advisories and issue tracker, as mentioned above, to apply security patches or updates as soon as they become available.

Although affected forms are considered to be uncommon, the risks associated with sensitive data alteration are significant and cannot be ignored. As a best practice, organizations and individuals alike should audit their Drupal-based projects and follow the mitigation steps provided by Drupal while awaiting an official fix.

Conclusion

In conclusion, CVE-2022-25271 is an important security vulnerability affecting Drupal core's form API and specific contributed or custom modules' forms. This input validation issue could lead to attackers injecting disallowed values or overwriting sensitive data in certain circumstances. Organizations and individuals using Drupal should pay close attention to the official advisories and issue tracker to implement any security patches or updates as soon as they are released. Despite the affected forms being uncommon, the potential impact on sensitive data cannot be overlooked, further emphasizing the importance of staying informed and ensuring that all Drupal-based projects are secured and up-to-date.

Timeline

Published on: 02/16/2022 23:15:00 UTC
Last modified on: 02/25/2022 14:47:00 UTC